Family Resources
Summary
This information is designed for spouses, partners, and children accompanying international graduate students and scholars to Harvard. This section includes information regarding child care and schooling for children as well as information that dependents will find helpful for planning their time while accompanying their spouse or partner at Harvard.
Childcare & Schooling
This section offers information on childcare and schooling in the Boston area. Children under age 5 are not eligible for public schools. The various childcare options for children under age 5 are described below. For school-age children, there is information regarding registering children for school and links to area school systems below.
For Younger Children
Harvard Human Resources: The Harvard Human Resources website connects scholars and students with Harvard and community resources, and provides general information about choosing the type of childcare and educational options for children.
Harvard Longwood Campus: Affiliates of Harvard Medical School, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine may have access to several Longwood Medical Area child care centers.
For School-aged Children
Public Schools
Each city or town has its own public schools for children aged 4 or 5 to 18. By law, these schools are free for those who live in the community. As long as you live in a community, that city or town is obliged to enroll your child in its school system, regardless of your nationality, the timing of your arrival, or the length of your stay. The school year normally begins in early September (sometime during the week after Labor Day) and continues through the third week in June. You must contact your local school department to inquire about its enrollment procedure. In general, to register a child in school, parents should bring proof of the child's age (either a birth certificate or passport), current immunization records, and proof of local residency.
In Cambridge, new families should contact the Student Registration Center located at Cambridge Rindge & Latin High School, 459 Broadway, Cambridge MA 02138, (617) 349-6551. The Student Registration Center website provides detailed information on enrollment in Cambridge schools.
Immunizations
If your child lacks the immunizations required for school enrollment and you are a Cambridge resident, you may make an appointment at one of the Cambridge Neighborhood Health Clinics. You can find more information at the Cambridge Health Alliance. In other cities and towns school officials will usually direct you to local health facilities to get the required immunizations.
Private and Parochial Schools
There are many private primary and secondary schools in the Boston/Cambridge area. Applications are usually submitted in the winter preceding fall enrollment, but spaces may be available at any given time. Tuition rates will vary, and parents must arrange for transportation to and from school. Parochial schools are private schools with a religious affiliation.
Community and After-School Programs
These programs are available in many public school districts at reasonable costs. They allow children to remain at their schools for an extended period of time after the regular school closing time. Various planned and supervised activities are offered along with snacks. Parents must usually provide transportation from the after-school program to their homes. Inquire at the School Department of your community about these programs.
Nursery Schools
Nursery schools are generally for children ages two years and nine months to five years old and the programs take place in the mornings for three hours. However, many variations exist among individual schools. Some offer programs for younger children; some offer two, three, or five-day enrollment options; some offer extended afternoon schedules. Fees vary accordingly. Some co-operative nursery schools involve parents in their day-to-day operations and therefore are somewhat less expensive. All schools are licensed by the State and must meet building and health codes in the area where they are located.
After you have found housing in the Boston area, you may wish to have your children attend a nearby public school. Typically, each community has several elementary schools, one or more middle schools, and one or more high schools. You should consult the website for your town listed below to find information about registering your children for school.
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Registration procedures differ slightly from public school to public school, but in general you should take the following items with you to registration. For more information contact your individual school.
- Identification: a birth certificate or passport
- Health records: These should include a record of all immunizations. Review information of the immunization requirements for students in Massachusetts.
- Address verification: This could be a bill or bank statement addressed to you at your current address.
- Previous school records: Any records you have from your child's previous school will help in placing your child correctly. If your child will be in kindergarten, they will be placed by age. Most schools require that kindergarten students be 5 years old either by August 31 or December 31 of the school year. Contact your individual school for details.
Please note that some daycare programs for before and after school are privately run. All public school systems offer an English Language Learners program (a.k.a. English as a second language) which may help your child adjust to a new language. Ask if an English Language Learners program is available in the specific school where your child is assigned.
The Cambridge public elementary school enrollment policy is not based on the geographic location of where you live in Cambridge. It is designed to achieve a diversity of children in each school balancing economic, racial and ethnic backgrounds. Families must therefore indicate at least three choices of elementary schools when registering their children. Children will be accepted at a chosen school provided that space is available. Elementary schools serve children from kindergarten through grade 5, the Upper Schools serve children from grade 6 through grade 8. There is only one high school serving children from grade 9 through grade 12. As soon as possible after locating housing in Cambridge, families should consult the Student Registration Center (SRC) at Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School, 459 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138, or email the SRC. You can pre-register online, but you still will need to come in to the SRC with the required documents to complete the registration process. There also is information for families relocating from outside the U.S.
It is important to note that before most families arrive at Harvard, several Cambridge school registration periods have already passed. Therefore, spaces in some grade levels of some schools may already be filled. Specific information about various programs and school assignments should be directed to the SRC.
Resources for Spouses/Partners
Below is information on Harvard University organizations that offer services to spouses and in some cases qualified domestic partners. There is information for English classes that includes organizations not affiliated with Harvard University as well as volunteer opportunities outside of the university.
Spouses or qualified domestic partners of students and scholars in the Harvard community may apply for borrowing privileges at Harvard libraries. To apply for a Special Borrower's card, please fill out an application that can be found on the Harvard Library Visitor Access website.
Once your application is approved, they will contact you to complete the application process. You will be asked to show the following documents:
- your government-issued photo ID
- a copy or photo of your partner's Harvard ID
- both your and your partner's I-20s or DS-2019s
- if your and your partner's last names differ, you must also bring a copy of a lease, utility bill, marriage certificate or other piece of official mail with both names listed as residing at the same address.
The Harvard Library Access and Borrowing Office is located at Widener Library, Room 130. For additional information please call (617) 495-4166 or email the Access and Borrowing Office.
Adult family members of international students and scholars may sit in on regular lecture courses in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and some of the other graduate schools, at the discretion of the faculty member. Arrangements for auditing are very informal. Choose the course by first consulting the FAS course catalog online. Then send an email message to the professor introducing yourself and explaining why you are interested in the course. If you don’t hear back, you still can attend the first lecture. After the lecture is over, introduce yourself to the professor, explain your status at Harvard, and ask that you be allowed to audit the course. This privilege does not apply to small seminars or language courses. Please note: auditing courses is not possible at the Harvard Extension School, Harvard Summer School, and some of the professional schools.
The HIO has a flyer listing three different types of organizations that offer English classes in the Boston/Cambridge area. Please click here to view the flyer.
Students, faculty, scholars, and staff can use the athletic facilities by showing their Harvard ID. They need to check with Harvard Athletics regarding how their family members can access the facilities. Students need to check with their respective schools to see if they need to purchase a participation sticker. For more information check the Harvard Athletics website.
The mission of the Center for Wellness and Health Promotion is "to create a Harvard community where all members value wellbeing. We cultivate individual and collective growth through educational experiences that develop and enhance holistic health." The Center offers a wide range of workshops, services, and classes available to all Harvard affiliates and their family members. Schedule a massage or acupuncture appointment; try one of their exercise, meditation, or yoga classes.
Harvard has a rich variety of opportunities for religious participation. During the academic year chapel services are held every weekday morning from 8:45 to 9:00 and on Sundays at 11:00 in the morning at the University's non-denominational Memorial Church, located in Harvard Yard. The weekday service normally includes a short address by a member of the Harvard community. From time to time, religious leaders of various denominations throughout the United States are invited to preach.
Schedules for services, concerts, group meetings, and lectures are announced in the Harvard Gazette. In addition, the Harvard Chaplains has an association of chaplains who work together in interfaith ministry for the Harvard community and who offer special programs of worship, discussion, and personal counseling to Harvard students, faculty, and staff of many faiths and traditions. They will also provide chaplains for weddings, baptisms, and memorial services.
The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) is comprised of the Harvard Extension School, the Harvard Summer School, the Harvard Professional Development Program, and the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement. DCE offers open enrollment courses, degrees and certificates, as well as professional development programs at reasonable prices. Courses are offered in a variety of formats: online, on campus, or blended.
The Language Exchange Program offers the opportunity to exchange informal conversation in your own language for conversation in your target language with another member of the Harvard community. Spouses and partners of faculty, staff, students, and visiting scholars are eligible to participate in the exchange.
Volunteering with an organization often can bring unexpected benefits not only to the people or organization you are serving but also to you. You may learn how organizations are different or similar to those in your country. You may improve on some of your technical skills as well as learn new ones. It usually is possible to obtain a recommendation from a supervisor regarding your volunteer work. All of these potential benefits to volunteering can be helpful when it comes time to finding paid employment. Here are a few websites to help you find volunteer opportunities:
Boston Cares - the largest volunteer agency in New England
Idealist - a database of job, internship and volunteer opportunities searchable by your local community
There are many groups on campus that may be of interest to spouses and partners. The Harvard Students' Spouses and Partners Association (HSSPA) group is open to spouses and partners of all Harvard affiliates (students, scholars, faculty, and staff). The Harvard Neighbors group is only for spouses of Harvard scholars, faculty and staff.